Chicago is a city that’s known for its beautiful skylines, with iconic skyscrapers that blend rich Art Deco and magnificent Beaux-Arts stylings. With such an ideal backdrop, the city has become one of the most favourable playgrounds for filmmakers. It’s widely believed that Chicago was the inspiration for Batman’s Gotham City, so many films based on the comics shoot on location here.

From high-speed underground street chase sequences, to mobster dramas set against convincing historical settings, you might’ve seen a bit of Chicago in your favourite blockbusters. Let’s take a director’s eye across the city with some of these notable film locations in Chicago.

  • 1

    East Upper Wacker Drive

    Iconic multi-level street

    East Upper Wacker Drive
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    Michael Bay has a knack of blowing up stuff in his films, and Chicago has seen more than its fair share of on-screen destruction. It so happens that most of the on-screen mayhem and aftermaths of battling alien robots in Bay’s Transformers films were shot in and around Chicago, even for depictions not really set in the city.

    Wacker Drive also stands in for Hong Kong in the fourth Transformers instalment, with reversed traffic and covered street signs. Travel to West van Buren Street to see the Chicago Post Office building as the NEST headquarters from the third Transformers instalment. Relive the explosive sequences in front of The River Hotel on Wacker Drive, just south of DuSable Bridge.

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  • 2

    O’Hare International Airport

    Huge airport that appeared in a classic family comedy

    O’Hare International Airport
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    Home Alone, the classic adventure comedy starring Macaulay Culkin, was shot entirely in the Greater Chicago area. Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport partly stood in as the Paris Orly Airport and is a great starting point if you want to tour this film’s locations. To visit the young protagonist’s home where most of the hilarious burglar booby-trapping scenes take place, go to 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, a short drive north from downtown Chicago.

    A snowy Hubbard Woods Park with a skating rink was where Culkin’s character fled and slid away from a police officer. Why not snap a selfie? Though we don’t recommend unintentionally stealing a toothbrush from the local pharmacy across the road.

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    Location: 10000 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL 60666, USA

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  • 3

    The Old Main Post Office

    Historic landmark that features in many superhero films

    The Old Main Post Office
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    The Old Main Post Office on West Van Buren Street is one of Chicago’s most imposing historical landmarks. It was built in the 1920s and served as a base for postal business services until 2016.

    The grand structure and classic Art Deco aesthetic of the building make it a backdrop of choice for several blockbusters. Its north-eastern corner stood in as the façade for the Gotham police station in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005) and its north-western corner was the set for the intense Gotham City heist opening sequence in the sequel, The Dark Knight (2008). While you’re here, head up to the building’s first floor for excellent dining at Here On Food Hall & Market.

    Location: 433 W Van Buren St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA

    Open: Monday–Friday from 7 am to 6 pm (Closed Saturday and Sunday)

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    photo by Zol87 (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified

  • 4

    Daley Plaza

    Public plaza that's seen many a car chase and fictional criminal

    Daley Plaza
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    In one of Harrison Ford’s most memorable films, The Fugitive (1993), he goes cross-country to flee the law after a wrongful accusation. We’re shown the Chicago cityscape, as well as the streets below it, as he combs through the city’s neighbourhoods and back alleys.

    Among the few noteworthy sites depicted are Wells Street Bridge, where he uses a phonebox to call his lawyer, and the civic centre of Daley Plaza, which he runs through before blending in with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade crowd on North Dearborn Street. Daley Plaza also famously appeared in the classic Blues Brothers (1980). You might even get to experience one of several festivities while you’re here, like farmers’ markets and cultural performances.

    Location: 50 W Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602, USA

    Phone: +1 312-603-7980

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    photo by Daniel Schwen (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 5

    Chicago Board of Trade

    Incredible Art Deco skyscraper

    Chicago Board of Trade
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    The Chicago Board of Trade building is an iconic Art Deco skyscraper on West Jackson Boulevard. In film, it stood in as Bruce Wayne’s corporate HQ in Batman Begins 2005). One of its trading floors was shown in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986).

    Autobots battled Decepticons there in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). However, the building's arguably biggest role was in the classic crime drama, The Untouchables (1987), which showed it in many of its scenes. Take a specialised tour to see the spectacular Art Deco exterior and lobby in detail.

    Location: 141 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604, USA

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    photo by Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified

  • 6

    Chicago City Hall

    Neo-classical government building visited by a beloved comedy duo

    Chicago City Hall
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    In the climactic high-speed chase scenes of John Landis’ whacky action flick, the Blues Brothers (1980), we see the paroled convict duo, played by career funnymen John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, race through Chicago. They do crazy manoeuvers in their loudspeaker-topped 1974 Dodge Monaco, nicknamed the 'Bluesmobile', with a dozen siren-blaring police on their tail. After crashing through Daley Plaza, they dash into the Chicago City Hall, looking for the clerk office, cameoed by Steven Spielberg, to pay their taxes.

    Bring your camera to snap a photo of the impressive architecture before embarking on a self-guided walking tour of other important monuments in Chicago. 

    Location: 121 N La Salle St # 107, Chicago, IL 60602, USA

    Phone: +1 312-744-5000

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    photo by Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified

  • 7

    Art Institute of Chicago

    Impressive art museum visited by truanting teens

    Art Institute of Chicago
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    Ferris Bueller, played by Matthew Broderick, has a habit of cutting classes in the ‘80s teen comedy flick, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). After calling in sick before graduation, Ferris and his friends take on the streets of Chicago, with a drop-by at the Art Institute of Chicago. One of the artworks featured here is a pointillist painting by the French post-Impressionist artist, Georges Seurat.

    Stare at the A Sunday on La Grande Jatte and see if it provokes the same feelings for you as it did for Cameron, then enjoy more of Seurat’s pieces and other artworks in one of the Institute’s many exhibitions. Don’t forget to check out the various tours and workshops.

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    Location: 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA

    Open: Friday–Monday from 11 am to 5 pm and Thursday from 11 am to 8 pm (Closed Tuesday and Wednesday)

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  • 8

    Hilton Chicago

    Luxury hotel that starred in a popular comedy

    Hilton Chicago
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    Little Fockers (2010), the hilarious sequel to Meet the Parents (2000) and Meet the Fockers (2004) by Paul Weitz, was shot entirely in Chicago. We get to see an overview of Chicago with its skyline in the opening, as well as some scenes around Lincoln Park, Grant Park and the front of The Hilton Chicago on South Michigan Avenue.

    The hotel’s magnificent Beaux-Arts exterior and its majestic grand lobby shows up in other films, including Tom Hanks’ crime drama, Road to Perdition (2002). After you’ve marvelled at the beautiful interiors, why not visit the gift shop or the European Art Studio for memorable souvenirs?

    Location: 720 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605, USA

    Phone: +1 312-922-4400

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    photo by Tripp (CC BY 2.0) modified

  • 9

    Union Station

    Busy Beaux-Arts train station

    Union Station
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    As one of Chicago’s most iconic and historical landmarks, Union Station serves as backdrop to various scenes in cinema history. It’s the city's primary terminal for commuter trains, covering over 9 city blocks underneath Chicago’s network of streets and skyscrapers.

    We can see the station’s vast and beautiful interiors in Michael Mann’s thriller, Public Enemies (2009), where Christian Bale’s FBI agent character meets up with other field agents, before starting their hunt for the bank-robber, played by Johnny Depp. There’s some stunning architecture to see here, as well as plenty of dining options, which make the Union Square a great pitstop when sightseeing.

    Location: 225 S Canal St, Chicago, IL 60606, USA

    Open: Daily from 5 am to midnight

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  • 10

    Willis Tower

    Multi-storey skyscraper prone to fictional disasters

    Willis Tower
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    If San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge makes its way high up on the list of monumental damage cinema tropes, Chicago has its own landmark that somehow gets its fair share of catastrophic damage in films. This honour goes to Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower.

    In the climax of Rampage (2018), we see the film’s mutant beasts get lured to the top of Willis Tower. The ensuing mayhem sees a plane crash, fight sequences and the tower ultimately toppling over from the damage. Thankfully, it’s still standing tall in real life, and you can head up to the top for unrivalled city views, art installations and history exhibits and incredible dining.

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    Location: 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, USA

    Phone: +1 312-875-9447

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Ari Gunadi | Compulsive Traveller